On Monday, Somalia recalled its ambassador to Nairobi and demanded that Kenya’s ambassador to Mogadishu return home, accusing Kenya of interfering in its internal affairs in Jubaland.
Somalia’s ambassador to Kenya, Mohamud Ahmed Nur, who also acts as the country’s Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, accused Kenya of pressuring the leader of the Jubaland state, Ahmed Mohamed Islan Madobe, to reject an agreement that was reached between federal states and the federal government in September. The agreement paves the way for holding indirect elections for MPs in the capitals of each state in December. As part of the deal, two town centers in each of the five federal states would be designated as polling centers.
However, despite initially agreeing to the deal, Jubaland leader Madobe took a step back this past weekend, when he said that the state would only sign on if his state was given full control over security for the centers. He also voiced his disagreements over which buildings would be designated as voting centers. Consequently, he declared that his state would not hold elections unless Mogadishu addressed these concerns.
Kenya, for its part, has urged the Somalian government to engage in dialogue, saying, “It is therefore incumbent upon all political actors in Somalia to stay true to their political commitments, avoid distracting actions [and] engage constructively to ensure timely implementation of the elections calendar, which will mark another critical phase in the post-conflict reconstruction efforts in Somalia.”
Somalia’s government, however, has accused Kenya of forcing a change in Jubaland’s position, with the permanent secretary Nur saying, “As a result of the Kenyan government’s political interference in the internal affairs of Somalia, Jubaland State President has reversed his position on the election agreement that was reached on the September 17 in Mogadishu.”
As a result of these developments, the Somalian government recalled Nur from Nairobi and ordered the Kenyan ambassador to Mogadishu, Lucas Tumbo, to leave the country. Nur released a statement saying, “The government took this decision while preserving its national sovereignty after it appeared that Kenya was deliberately interfering in the affairs of Somalia, particularly Jubaland.”
Kenya, for its part, has rejected Somalia’s allegations of interfering in the country’s sovereign affairs. In fact, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Macharia Kamau expressed Nairobi’s “regret” over Mogadishu’s decision, and said that Kenya would “respond through the appropriate channels soon”.
Tensions between the two nations are not a new development, and are largely centered around Kenya’s strategic and economic interests in the region. Kenyan troops are currently deployed in Jubaland along with their Ethiopian counterparts in an African Union (AU) mission to counter the al-Shabab militant threat. At the same time, Kenya and Somalia are also embroiled in a maritime dispute over oil and gas resources which are located off the coast of the state of Jubaland, which is home to the crucial Somali port of Kismayo.
In fact, in February 2019, Kenya recalled its ambassador to Mogadishu after Somalia attempted to auction oil and gas exploration blocks that were still being contested by the two nations. After the two countries restored diplomatic ties in November of last year, there was some promise for a rejuvenation of bilateral relations, particularly when Kenya began offering visas on arrival for Somalian citizens earlier this month, with Kenyan Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary saying that Nairobi wishes to tap into “unexploited trade opportunities” between the two countries.
The latest events, however, indicate that much of this progress has been undone and that Somalia and Kenya are firmly at loggerheads with each other once more.
Somalia Accuses Kenya of Interference in Jubaland, Recalls Ambassador, Expels Kenyan Envoy
Mogadishu accused Nairobi of pressuring Jubaland state leader Ahmed Mohamed Islan Madobe to reject an electoral agreement that was reached between federal states and the federal government.
December 1, 2020
IMAGE SOURCE: PSCUSomalian President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo (L) and his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta